European patent EP 1 365 984 B1 discloses a bridge crane for stacking containers, in particular ISO containers, which, within a container terminal, places containers into storage in a warehouse area or removes them from storage therein. The bridge crane has a crane carrier which spans a substantially cuboidal warehouse area widthwise. A crane trolley can travel on the crane carrier and in the longitudinal direction thereof in the width direction of the warehouse area. The crane carrier can travel via running gears on rails in the crane travel direction and therefore transverse to the crane trolley on the crane carrier and in the longitudinal direction of the warehouse area. In order to be able to handle the containers, a mast is disposed on the crane trolley, is guided in the vertical direction, and can be raised and lowered. The mast is formed as a box carrier, and lifting mechanisms are disposed on the crane trolley for the lifting and lowering movement of the mast. On the lower end of the mast, which is oriented in the direction of the containers to be handled, a load-receiving means for containers, in particular a so-called spreader, is suspended in an articulated manner. The load-receiving means is connected to the lifting mechanisms on the crane trolley via cables. The mast is not directly driven in the lifting and lowering direction, but only indirectly via the cables engaging on the load-receiving means. The use of a rigid mast between the crane trolley and the load-receiving means offers the advantage that it is possible to handle the containers without them swinging to a great degree in contrast to load-receiving means, which are also used and are suspended exclusively on cables.
German laid-open document DE 29 11 938 B2 discloses a crane installation for handling containers in the case of railway transportation. This crane installation is formed as a gantry crane which in a conventional manner has a horizontally extending bridge carrier on which a trolley can travel. This trolley supports a column-like mast which is able to move vertically in the lifting and lowering direction. A load-receiving means for the containers is attached to the lower end of the mast. In order to be able to rotate the load-receiving means and the mast about a vertical axis the mast is guided in the region of its upper end eccentrically on a circular ring-shaped intermediate frame in which a lifting mechanism, which is connected to the mast via cables, is centrally disposed. The annular intermediate frame is able to travel in the revolving direction via running gears on an annular rail disposed on the trolley, and can therefore rotate the mast including the load-receiving means for the containers, which is disposed thereon, about a vertical axis.
Furthermore, German utility model DE 200 13 245 U1 discloses a device for handling containers in the case of railway transportation, which is formed in the manner of a pillar jib crane. This device accordingly has a vertical upright pillar, on the upper end of which a horizontally extending, projecting jib is disposed so as to be able to pivot about a vertical axis. At the end of the jib, remote from the upright pillar, a crane jib for a trolley that can travel along it, is suspended via a revolving mechanism with a vertical axis. This trolley has a lifting mechanism and two vertically downwardly extending lifting masts, along which a lifting carriage is able to move in the lifting and lowering direction with the aid of the lifting mechanism. At the lower end of the carriage is a load-receiving means for the containers.
Furthermore, German laid-open document DE 27 52 212 A1 discloses a transfer device for containers in the case of railway transportation, which is formed essentially as a gantry crane with a trolley. A load-receiving means for the containers is suspended on the trolley via a vertical pillar. The pillar, which cannot be raised and lowered, is supported on the trolley via a revolving device at its upper end, and can therefore be rotated about its vertical axis of rotation. Furthermore, the load-receiving means is suspended by lifting mechanisms so as to be moveable to a slight degree in the lifting and lowering direction at the lower end of the mast.